Fill your kitchen with the amazing aroma of a Puerto Rican Pernil. It is one of the most emblematic traditional recipes in Puerto Rico. You’ll love how simple it is to make this roasted pork that falls off the bone!
If there is one recipe that was always made in my house growing up, it was a good Puerto Rican Pernil. We had it on three Kings Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and holidays. On Thanksgiving day it was very rare we had a turkey, but we always had pork.
A pernil is a roasted pork shoulder. Almost every culture has its own recipe. In Puerto Rico, we season with the typical Caribbean seasonings like a homemade adobo all purpose seasoning and sazon.
I love making this on a Christmas Eve morning. Always served next to a good arroz con gandules and some Puerto Rican guineitos en escabeche. On Christmas day is a pernil sandwich for breakfast with the leftovers.
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Why This Recipe Works
- It is cooked slowly to make the pork tender and then you crank up the heat to get a crunchy cuero(skin). Just like it is made on the island!
- Is one of the best recipes to make as party food, just season, roast, and enjoy.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder- I used a skin on pork shoulder. You can make it without the skin but I highly suggest finding the right pork with the skin on.
- Oil- I used vegetable oil but you can use olive oil or coconut. The oil is essential to make a marinate with all the other ingredients. It helps get the seasoning inside the pork through the cuts we make.
- Garlic- It is always best to use fresh garlic because the flavor will be more intense.
- Seasonings- We use adobo, sazón, salt, and thyme.
- Herbs- I used dried oregano.
Variations
- Seasonings: The seasonings can have small variations depending on family traditions. Some people use sofrito mix to season the pork but I never have.
- Meat: The best cut of pork used to make pernil is the pork shoulder. But this cut of meat can be found by different names. It can also be labeled as Picnic, Picnic Shoulder, or roast pork.
How to make a Pernil
- Photo 1: Make some holes in your meat. This allows the seasonings to penetrate deeper inside the pork. But don’t poke the skin!
- Photo 2: Mix the oil and seasonings. Season the pork and make sure to put some seasoning in the cuts you made. Make sure everything is covered.
- Photo 3: Transfer the meat to a pan and cover it to seal the moisture in. This will help cook the meat while keeping it juicy. Then cook for 4 hours in a 200°F oven.
- Photo 4: After the 4 hours, you want to remove the cover and cook the pork for 3 more hours at 350°F, plus more if the skin is not very crunchy.
Recipe Tips
- While your pork cooks, it will release a lot of juices. Do not throw it away! Strain it and save it for later. You can use it to drizzle on top of the meat to add flavor. It can also be used as stock to make Puerto Rican yellow rice with pink beans or gravy.
- A tip my mother-in-law gave me is that in the last half hour of cooking the pork, she brushes the top with traditional achiote oil. She said it was for extra crispy skin. I tried it once but I didn’t see any difference in how crispy my skin got but it might be worth a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on what you intend to achieve. If you want meat that falls off the bone then you must cook each pound for at least 1 hour. You can of course cook this in less time. The meat will be nice and juicy it just won’t fall off the bone.
The leftovers are great for making sandwiches like a tripleta or a cubanito. It is very delicious in burritos too. Great to use as a meat topping for vegetables like baked potatoes.
Sides to Serve With Pernil
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Puerto Rican Pernil
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Ingredients
- 7 pounds pork shoulder
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons adobo
- 3 teaspoons sazon or 2 packets
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoons ground thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F/100°C.
- Mince the garlic and place it in a small bowl. Add the oil, salt, adobo, sazón, thyme, oregano and mix it all together.
- Turn the pork skin down and poke the other side about 4-6 times. Make the cuts deep, where at least half of your finger can fit. Season all the pork with the oil mix. Making sure to introduce some seasoning in all of the cuts made. Transfer the pork to a oven safe dish with a lid. Cover and cook for 4 hours.
- After the 4 hours have passed, turn the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C. Uncover and cook for 3 hours. Serve and Enjoy.
Stephenie says
Yes! and some guineitos or coditos!
Paul Pontes says
My Favorite with Yellow rice n Grandoles.
Stephenie says
Thank you for the visit!
Anonymous says
Really good 👍